Suspect turns himself in guest worker assault case

AMMAN — A suspect on Friday turned himself in to police for allegedly assaulting a guest worker in Zarqa Governorate, according to Public Security Department’s Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi. 

The suspect is in custody pending further investigation by Zarqaa’s prosecutor, Sartawi told The Jordan Times. 

The official said that Egyptian worker Ali Sayed was allegedly assaulted by the owner of a vegetable shop in Wadi Al Hajar area after a dispute between the two. 

Sayed who was severely injured as a result of the alleged assault was taken to Jabal Azzaytoun Hospital, Sartawi added. 

The Egyptian worker is in very critical condition and suffers a skull fracture and severe bleeding in the brain according to Sartawi.

A source at the Egyptian embassy in Amman, who requested anonymity, said that the 54-year-old man, who works as a tile worker and has been living in Jordan for 27 years, was reportedly assaulted over a financial dispute involving several people. 

Nabila Mukaram, Egypt’s migration minister, said in an interview with Ten TV’s “Public Opinion” show that Sayed reportedly paid a Jordanian man JD2,000 to buy him a car, which he failed to deliver resulting in a dispute that ended up in the assault. 

“We trust the Jordanian judicial authorities and appreciate the Labour Minister Ali Ghzawi visit to the Egyptian citizen who pledged to cover the costs of his treatment,” the source said. 

Mohammad Khatib, the Labour Ministry’s spokesperson, said that the ministry was informed about an Egyptian worker sustained injury from a fall but after calls from Egypt’s ambassador to Jordan and the minister it learned that the man was assaulted. 

“The case is now in the hands of the judiciary,” Khatib noted.